Book 74 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title - The Book That Started It All

Book -  Hope Is Not a Strategy: The 6 Keys to Winning the Complex Sale: The 6 Keys to Winning the Complex Sale by Rick Page

Book Description: Master of the complex sale, Rick Page is the author of the bestselling book, Hope Is Not a Strategy, and one of the most sought-after sales consultants and trainers in the world. He has taught his breakthrough selling strategies to thousands of people in 150 companies across 50 countries--an amazing platform that has helped his message spread like wildfire. This book lays out Page's simple, six-step process for making the sale--no matter how complex the deal or how many people are involved in the buying decision. Integrating the winning selling strategies used by the world's top salespeople, Page shows readers how to: Identify and sell to a prospect's business "pain, Qualify a prospect, Build competitive preference, and Define a prospect's decision-making process.

Reflection:

This is the actual book that unknowingly kick started off this year of magical learning adventure.

It was January of 2020 and I had made a vow to try and read 12 books for the year of 2020, one a month, to my teammates at work when we were committing to our annual goal plan. I wanted to learn more and challenge myself (2 of my core values in life) and I thought that was a huge stretch me as I had read maybe 12 books in the last 12 years before that collectively. I was ready to take on this challenge, but didn't know where to start. I asked my boss at the time if he had any recommendations and he said, "Hope is not a strategy is always a classic". I work in sales and my boss recommended it so I thought, "what the hell...let's give it a go."

Every morning, when I came into the office (we still came into the office at that time before Covid), I found a quiet space to go and read my daily goal of 15 pages. I did each morning until I finished the book. Day by day I slowly made progress and in a few short weeks...my first book was done. I waited until February 2020 before I began my next book which was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I finished that and I felt pretty good about this process and completing my goal for the year. I picked my 3rd book, The Compound Effect, for March of 2020. I was rolling right along on this reading goal for 2020, and all the sudden, my daughter was born out of the blue on March 15th, 2020 when we weren't expecting her until July 13th, 2020. For the rest of that story, check out the book I wrote about my tiny hero and our journey together called, I Can't Imagine.

So how in the hell did we get to this point where it is 19 months later and now I've read 200 books and I'm working on writing my second book on this new journey I've been on?

Short answer...I have no idea. Life is crazy and you never know what is going to happen next. I had no idea that my life was about to change from the early birth of my daughter and then losing her 39 days later, or the Covid pandemic that would change all of our lives forever. We adapt and endure...that is what we do.

Longer answer, it turns out that this book was right and hope really isn't a strategy. I know this book is about sales, but it applies to life as well. I was drifting through life with no real strategy pre March 2020 and my daughter's birth. After losing her, I know exactly what my life strategy is each and every day that I wake up. It is to live as much of my values as I can each and every day. The real strategy of life appears to be deliberate action each day around the things you say you value most in this world. When you do that, it will take you to places you've never expected and will help you to endure events in your life that you never would have dreamed possibly.

There is no way in hell I could have predicted this as my life back in January of 2020 when I first sat down each day to start reading this book. However, when we put first things first in our lives (those non-urgent but important tasks that reflect your values) it can take you places you've never dreamed.

Question: What is your strategy to put first things first in your life?

---

Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Hope Is Not a Strategy

YOML Bookstore - Hope Is Not a Strategy: The 6 Keys to Winning the Complex Sale by Rick Page